Edgae d



(No Model.) I

' E. D. FELLOWS.

VERTICAL FEED SEWING MACHINE.

- No. 280,732. Patented July s 883..

'Il i""i figli] 7%/3 'l mwlp Hill 'w N. Pneus, mommy-pw. www. BKL;

UNITED STATES PATENT EEI'CE.

EDGAR D. EELLowS, or wAfrEErowN, NEw roEx,v AssIeNoE To THE DAvIS SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, or SAME PLACE.

VERTICAL-FEED SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,732, dated July 3, 1883,

Application filed February 1, 1883.

(No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR D. FELLOWS, of \Vatertown, Jefferson county, New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in 5 Vertical-Feed Sewing-Machines, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to the sewing-Inachines in which the work is advanced by means of one or Inore vertical feeding devices supported in the head of the machine and movable both vertically and horizontal7 and has special reference to the means for imparting the horizontal and lateral movements to the feeding devices.

Ordinarily, as in the well-known Davis sewing-machine, the needle-bar constitutes one of the vertical feeding` devices, and in connection with it an auxiliary vertical-feed bar or helperbar is employed. rlhe invention is shown herein as applied to a machine of this construction, although it is applicable generally to machines of the class indicated. Y The invention consists, mainly, in the combination, with. the vertical feeding devices and a feed-cam, of intermediate mechanism so constructed and arranged that the device through which motion is conveyed from said cam is always in contact with the latter.

Heretofore in vertical-feed sewing-machines the feed-dog or feed-lever, I or the roll carried thereby, is continuously in contact with the cam only when the regulating devices are adjusted to make the longest stitches. At other times-or, in other words, usuallythe cam strikes the feed dog or'lever and afterward moves away a greater or less distance at each stitch. By the present invention the noise arising from the striking of the cam against the ,feed dog or lever is avoided.

The invention further comprises certain special combin-ations of parts, as hereinafter explained.

The accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, illustrate the head of a Davis Sewing-machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure l is a view in vertical cross-section and in elevation, looking to the right, showing the needle-bar, helper-bar, and the mechanism for moving the 'same laterally. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l with the feed mechanism in another position; Fig. 3, a view in vertical longitudinal section on line x, Fig. l, with a number of parts in advance as well as behind said line in elevation, looking to the rear, and the needle-cam in section on line x; Fig. 4, a view in vertical cross-section on line y y, Fig. 3, and in elevation, looking to the left; and Figs. 5, 6, and 7, detail views.

The sam`e letters in each figure refer to the same parts.

A is the cam house or head of the machine; A', the face-plate; B, the shaft-head or feed-cam, B', the needle-cam roll or driver, C, the needlebar; C', the needle-cam; D, the feed or helper bar; E and F, feed-levers or bell-cranks; G, the shifting-ledge; J, the spring; L, the regulating-lever, M, the graduated sector, showing length of stitch; N, the handle or knob by which lever L is moved; Qfthe shaft; P, the circular disk; B, U, V, NV, and X, frictionrolls 5 S, the line of cloth-plate; Y and Z, studs on which the feed-levers or bell-cranks E and F are pivoted; and H, the feed-spring.

l.The needle-bar C and helper-bar D pass through Slots in the roof and floor of the cam.- house A, or, more properly, through slots formed in the flanges of the face-plate, and between the said flanges and the corresponding walls of the cam-house. The slot at .the top has the roll V at one end, and the said roll, with the sidewalls and opposite end wall of the slot, form fixed guides, which allow the said bars to swing horizontally or laterally in the plane of the feed movement, (at right angles to the length of shaft QQ as well as to reciprocate vertically. The slot at the bottom ofthe cam-house is longer than the combined width of the two bars, so as to permit the swinging motion above mentioned; but its width is equal to their common thickness, so as to keep them in the same plane of motion.

The needle-cam C is the ordinary grooved heart-cam, and is fixed to the needle-bar. It is engaged by the roll of driver B, which is fastened on the face of the revolving cam B, and which works in the groove in the needlecam, so as to reciprocate the needle-bar vertically. The needle-bar is so connected with IOO the helper-bar and presser-bar that at each descent of the needlesbar thehelper-bar is depressed and the presser-bar lifted, and at each. ascent the reverse operations take place. The device used for this purpose is or may be the usual bent, lever long used in the Davis sewing-machine, which, as it is well known and forms no part of this invention, needs no illustration or particular description. The needlebar is likewise connected with and operates the take-up in the usual way.

The. teedlever or belterank F is supported by and turns upon the stud T, fixed to the in ner wall of the cani-house. lts front or longer arm carries the roll lt, which bears against the front edge ofthe needlebar (l.

The feed-lever or bellerank E is pivoted to the shorter arm of lever F by means of the stud Z. The upright or rear arm carries the roll U, which bears against the cam B. The horizontal or Vfront arm carries the roll which works iu contact with the shifting-ledge G. This ledge projects from the outer face or the disk l?, which is iournaled in the inner wall ofthe canrhouse, and is adapted to be turned by the arm L, so as to set the ledge G at the proper inclination or angle. It is by turning this disk and altering the position of the ledge that the lateral stroke of the needle and feed or helper bars, and consequently the length of stitch, is regulated, as hereinafter explained.

rlhe spring .lA is ihstened'at one end to a sta-` tion-ary piece in the cam-house, and its free end bears against the upright arm of feed-lever lil, tending to turn it upon the stud Z, so as to hold the roll U in contzict with the cam ll. The leed-spring l'I bears against the rear edge of the vertical feed or helper bar l), and tends to move it and the needlevbar toward the front of the machine, or, in other words, to re store them to a vertical position.

Fig. l shows the position of the feed-levers or beltcianks with roll U in contact with the smallest diameter of cam-shaped shafthead l, and the ledge G of the circular disk l? ina vertical position. Now, it' shaft-head or cani l) is rotated in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, the high part of said shalthead or cani, being brought in contact with the roll U, will force said roll back, or to the left in the iigure, causing feed-lever or bell-crank E to turn on stud Zand roll YV to travel up the face of vt `cal ledge G. Since the ledge G offers no resistance to the vibration of the lever ll on stud Z, no motion will be imparted to lever F and no lateral motion to the vertical feeding devices. Spring J', keeping rollU in contactwith cain l, causes roll XV to return to the position shown, when roll U again reaches the lower part of cam B.

ln Fig. 2 the circular disk l? has been turned so as to bring the raised ledge G into a horizontal position. Now, when the high part of the cain comes in contact with :roll U, the roll lV being prevented from rising by the ledge G, the vertical arm of lever F is forced back,

or to the left in the figure, thereby pressing roll lt against the needle-bar U, and ea-using the needle and feed bars C l) to move laterally into the position shown in the said Fig. 2. lVhen the cani l revolves so as to bring the roll U in contact with its low side, roll lt travels along the ledge G, permitting the lever F to return to the position shown in Fig. l.. rllhe spring lil, keeping the needle and feed bars against the roll R, returns them toa ver` tical position. The upper ends ofthe needle and feed bars being held in iixed guides, they are caused to incline from a vertical position when moved laterally by roll lt. New, it will be observed that with the disk l. in the position shown in Fig. l., bringing theprojecting ledge into a vertical position, the shaft Q and cani ll may be rotated without moving lever F and without imparting any lateral movement to the needle and feed bars, at the saine time keeping roll U in constant contact with the cam B, thereby preventing any slapping or rebounding against cam l, and its consev quent noise, to overcome which is one of the principal objects of thisinvention. It will be further seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the disk Pin the position as shown bringing theproiecting ledge Gin a horizontal position, the roll lt communicateslateral motion enough to the needle and leed bars to produce a very long stitch. lVith disk l? shifted so as to bring ledge G- at any angle between a horizontal and a vertical position, the movement of bell -crank F will be corres])ondingly less, and the length of stitch can be thereby regulated as desired. rlhe position of the arm Labove the graduated sector )l indicates the length of stitch.

The face of the projecting ledge G, on which the roll XV travels, is the part of a circle whose. center is at the center of the stud Z, and

when roll U is in contact with the low side of cani IB the center of roll \V comes exactly over the center of disk 1),' which insures the needle and feed bars being brought exactly to a vertical position when they return, on any and allV lengths of stitch.

lhe feed cani B, the needle-cani C', andthe needle-cani roll or driver l are so arranged. that the rol l. lt and the vertical bars (l l) are moved in the direction of the feed (to the left, Figs. l andf) after the needle-bar and helperbar have descended, and that the reverse or return movement under the pressure of spring H is allowed to take placeafter the foot of the helper-bar and the needle have been raised clear of the work.

As shown, the shaft Q runs toward the operator, who sits at the front of the machine. The effect of this is that the needle-cam roll or driver, by its action on the needle-cam aids in returning the needle-bar to a vertical position, and in holding it in that position during its descent, ,instead of tending to displace it, as it. would do if the shaft were run in the opposite direction.

For a full explanation of the operation ref- IDO TIO

erence may be had to the patent of Wm. Sfl 4. The combination, with feeding devices Carlisle, for improvements in vertical or top feed sewing-machines, dated January 9, 1883, and numbered 270,540. The new feed meehanism herein described could, however, the position ofthe feed-cam on the shaft being properly changed, be used in a machine having the shaft run in the opposite direction, the needlebar being pivoted on the face of an auxiliary cam -bar, as described in patent to J ob A. Davis, No. 58,614, October 9, 1866, or thedisturbing effect of the roll or driver being neutralized or avoided by other suitable means.

The parts of the machine not shown may be of the ordinary or of other suitable construction. l

Modications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and parts of the invention could be separately used, if desired.

The term vertical feeding devices7 is employed herein to include one or more such devices.

Having now fully described my said invention and the manner of carrying the same into effect, what I claim is f 1. The combination, with vertical feeding.

devices` and a feed-cam placed in the cam house or head of a sewing-machine, of operating and adjusting mechanism, as explained, the same comprising reciprocatory parts in continuous contact or connection with said vertical feeding devices and feed-cam, and with each other, and adjusting means for changing the length of stroke imparted to said feeding devices while maintaining the contacts or connections aforesaid unbroken, substantially as described, whereby a noiseless feed is produced.

2. The combination, with the needle-bar and helper-bars, both of them movable vertically and laterally, of operating and adjusting mechanism for imparting and regulating the lateral movement of said feeding devices, said mechanism comprising reciprocatory parts in continuous contactwith each other and with said feed-cam and needle-bar, and adjusting means for varying the stroke of the latter without 4 breaking the said contact or connection and without altering the position of the needle-bar at its descent, substantially as described.

3. The combination, vwith feeding devices and a feed-cam, of 4a lever turning on a fixed center, and having a contact or connection with said devices, and a second lever pivoted to and carried by the former, and having a contact or connection with said feed-cam, and an adjustable fulcrum-pieee for saidsecond lever, substantially as described.

and a feed-cam, of two bell-crank levers, one pivoted to and carried by the other, and an adjustable fulcrum-pieee, substantially as described.

5. The combination of vertical feeding devices, a feed-cam, a feed-lever, a spring for holding one arm of said lever in contact with said cam, the shifting-ledge, and means, as indicated, for conveying motion from said feedlever to the feeding devices, said parts being all placed in or carried by the cam house or head of the sewing-machine, substantially as described.

, 6. In a vertical-feed sewing machine, the combination, with a feed-lever and an adjustable bearing or fulcrum-piece therefor-such as the shifting-ledge describedof the regulating lever-arm and the graduated sector, said lever and said adjustable bearing or fulcrum-piece being within the cam house or head of the machine and said regulating-arm and sector on the outside of the same, substantially as described.

7. In a vertical-feed sewing-machine, and in combination with the vertical feeding devices, their operatingmechanism, and the regulating means for changing the lateral stroke of said devices placed within the cam house or head of the machine, a graduated sector, and a regulating index-arm connected with said regulating means, and placed, together with said sector, on the outside of said cam house or head, substantially as described.

8. VThe combination of the disk journaled in the wall of the cam-house, the regulating-arm attached thereto on the outside, the graduated sector, the projecting ledge attached to said disk' on the inside, the feed-levers, feed-cam, and vertical feeding devices, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the vertical feed- 10o ing devices, of the feed-cam, the feed-lever acting against the said devices, the feed-lever pivoted to the former lever and acted uponby the said cam, the spring bearing against the second feed-lever, the shifting-ledge forming an adjustable bearing or fulcrum-piece for the same, and the feed-spring, substantially as described.

. In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing 1 io witnesses. ,f

EDGAR D. FELLOVS.

Vitnesses:

Lnvr A. JoHNsoN, JAMns C. BURT. 

